Wire-stretcher.



L. B, DEVOLLD.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 11. 1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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fiEvoLLn.

WIRE- STRETCHER.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. [7, I915- 1,216,089. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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LAURENCE B. DEVOLLD, OF EMMETT, KANSAS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Feb. 13, 11917.

Application filed November 17, 1915. Serial No. 61,950.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, LAURENCE B. DEvoLLD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Emmett, in the county of Pottawatomie and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ing one of said wires taut while the other wire is being stapled to the post. 7

Other objects of this invention not at this this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the detailed description and drawings forming a part of this specification.

Furthermore, this invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more particularly described in the fol lowing specification and embodied in the claims appended hereunto and forming a part of this application. 7

Referring now to the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention,

Figure l is a perspective view of mywire stretcher applied in operative position withrespeot to a fence post.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my device showing the initial position of the pulley block within the stretcher frame and its relative position with respect to a fence post.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the'relative position of the pulley block when stretching is completed and wire is in position to bestapled to the post.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the manner of using my device in conjunction with 6 for uniting the two ends of a broken wire. 7

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental detail view of the rope lock lever whereby the pulley may be retained in any given position by an outward pull upon the pulley rope.

Referring further to the drawings, wherein similar reference "characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views, 1 designates a. rectangular frame, open on two. sides thereof, and having a pair of stationary pulley wheels 2 mounted within said frame at one end thereof. A hook member 3 is mounted upon each edge of the side walls of said frame, spaced apart a certain distance from the pulley wheels 2,

said hook members being adapted to engage with a fence post at. Said hookmembers are formed with an offset portion 5, adapted to maintain the frame 1 spaced apart from a fence post when the hook members are ongaged therewith, thereby affording a clearance between the side of the post and the side of the frame.

A spring clutch consisting of a fixed block 6 and asegment shaped block 7 is mounted upon said frame near the end thereof which is opposite said pulley wheels. Said segment shaped block is cut inwardly along one face and at the curved end thereof, thereby forming a flange 8, the block being eccentrically pivoted upon said frame. The fixed block is mounted adjacent the flanged end of said segment shaped block and is so formed that one end thereof will project beneath the flange 8 upon the segment block. Said seg ment block is spring actuated to retain it in engagement with said fixed block.

Said frame is formed with grooves 9 upon the inner face and along the length thereof. A pulley block 10 is slidably mounted within said grooves 9, said pulley block being coextensive in width with said frame.

A spring clutch 11, substantially similar lock consists of a lever 13, pivoted near one end thereof in such position that when said lever is pushed downwardly at right angles to the side of said frame, the end adjacent the pivot thereof will bind the rope 12 against the frame. Said lever is formed with a hole 20 near the free end thereof through which the free end of the pulley rope passes. When the wire stretcher of my invention is in normal stretching operation the pull directed upon the free end of the rope 12 is in a direction generally indicated by position of the rope in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 8. To look the rope against movement the free end thereof is moved into the dotted position shown in Fig. 8, this movement forming a bight in the rope which moves the clamping arm 13 to the dotted line position shown. This firmly clamps one length of the rope 12 and prevents the movement of the block 10.

A grip member 1 1 is secured upon one end of the frame by means of a chain 15, said grip member being formedof a body portion 16 having an abutment "17 formed on one face near the edge thereof, and a cam face lever 18 pivotally mounted upon said body portion in such position that when said lever is pulled over the cam face thereof will engage and grip anything placed between said lever and said abutment.

In using mydevice to put up a wire fence, the hook members are engaged with a fence post. The sliding pulley block is then placed at the end of the frame farthest from the hook members, and the wire to be stretched is inserted in the spring clutch mounted upon the frame, said clutch being opened by pulling the segment block out of engagement with the fixed block. The said wire is also engaged with the spring clutch 11 upon the sliding pulley block in the same manner. It is apparent that a forward pull on the wire through the spring clutch will allow it to pass freely therethrough, but that my backward movement of the wire will cause the segment block to move over toward the fixed block, thus gripping the wire securely. As thus attached, the pulley rope is pulled and the sliding block moves forwardly within the frame. Should the pulley rope be released, the spring clutch upon the frame will automatically grip the wire'and retain it until a new hold thereon is secured by the sliding blocls To secure the wire to the post, the sliding pulley block is pulled to the end ,of the frame back of the hook members. The wire is then in proper position to be stapled to the post upon which the hook members are engaged.

In bringing together the two ends of a broken wire, it is often necessary to stretch the wires considerably in order to bring the ends together. It may not always be easy to bring the broken ends very close together without the use of implements, and in such case one of the ends may be secured to the spring clutch 11, as shown in Fig. 6, while the other end of the wire is secured to the grip member 14. It is apparent that when the pulley block is moved to the other end of the frame, the free ends of the wire may readily be secured together.

Having now described and pointed out the new and useful features of my invention,

I do not limit myself to the shape of certain parts where the shape is not essential, nor do I restrict myself 'to the exact details of construction shown and described, but mean and intend to claim all equivalents and variations thereof, not departing in principle from my invention, and falling within the purview of the appended claims.

l/Vhat I claimas my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:'

1. In a wire stretcher of-the'class described, a frame having a longitudinally extending recess, post engaging means formed integrally with the said frame, a block slidable in said recess, pulleys carried by said block, wire holding means on the block, a plurality of pulleys carried by said frame at one end of said longitudinally eX- tending recess and a power transmitting element trained over said pulleys and having a free end portion, a locking arm having a gripping portion for engagement with said flexible element, the free extremity of said arm having engagement with the free end portion of said flexible element whereby upon a pull on said end portion laterally of the frame, the gripping portion of said locking arm is forced against the power transmitting element to hold said element against movement.

2. A wire stretcher including a frame, post engaging means integrally formed upon said frame, a block slidably mounted upon said frame, and having a pluralityof pulleys therein, pulley wheels mountedat one end of said frame, wire gripping means mounted upon said block, a flexible power transmitting device'trained over the pulleys, and having a free end portion, a guiding clutch member mounted upon the frame, a lock lever pivotally mounted adjacent one end of the frame and having a grippingportion for engagement with said flexible transmitting element, the opposite end of said lock lever having an opening formed therein, the free end portion of said flexible member extending through said opening and providing means for locking thelever by a pull on said end portion laterally of the frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

LAURENCE B. DEVO'LL D.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissionerof Patents, Washington, D. U. 

